Memory Help

[ToomeyND]

Hello all. I've seen posts in here asking for help with memory management. I have a 11" i7 MBA with 512 SSD and 8 Gigs RAM. Unfortunately, my computer is hanging around 7-8 Gigs used at all times. I quit Microsoft Outlook before these screenshots, but I don't have the expertise to understand what can go, what should go, and what is me using my computer poorly. I currently have open 7 tabs in safari, calendar, mail, and activity monitor when taking these screenshots. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have to admit, I'm terrified of not getting some programs back if I do a fresh install, but if that is what y'all recommend, then so be it.

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

 

[GGJstudios]

Hello all. I've seen posts in here asking for help with memory management. I have a 11" i7 MBA with 512 SSD and 8 Gigs RAM. Unfortunately, my computer is hanging around 7-8 Gigs used at all times. I quit Microsoft Outlook before these screenshots, but I don't have the expertise to understand what can go, what should go, and what is me using my computer poorly. I currently have open 7 tabs in safari, calendar, mail, and activity monitor when taking these screenshots. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Your memory usage is fine. It is quite normal for all of your memory to be in use by OS X. It does not mean that you are running out of memory or that it is maxed out. OS X will manage all available memory, making it available to apps on an as-needed basis. Refer to the following Apple support article for more information on how to understand your Activity Monitor readings.

OS X Mavericks: About Activity Monitor​

The combination of Free, Wired, Active, Inactive & Used memory statistics in previous versions of Activity Monitor have been replaced in Mavericks with an easy to read "Memory Pressure" graph.
Memory pressure is indicated by color:

• Green – RAM memory resources are available.
• Amber – RAM memory resources are being tasked.
• Red – RAM memory resources are depleted and OS X is using the drive for memory.

 

[ToomeyND]

Your memory usage is fine. It is quite normal for all of your memory to be in use by OS X. It does not mean that you are running out of memory or that it is maxed out. OS X will manage all available memory, making it available to apps on an as-needed basis. Refer to the following Apple support article for more information on how to understand your Activity Monitor readings.

OS X Mavericks: About Activity Monitor​

Thanks for your reply. I was having an issue earlier today, however, where I had to quit outlook in order to get Google Earth to open properly. Was that not likely a RAM issue? The reason I quit Outlook was because the RAM was showing nearly 8 Gigs usage.

 

[GGJstudios]

Thanks for your reply. I was having an issue earlier today, however, where I had to quit outlook in order to get Google Earth to open properly. Was that not likely a RAM issue? The reason I quit Outlook was because the RAM was showing nearly 8 Gigs usage.

It doesn't matter how much RAM is showing in use, even up to your total memory. Look at the colored Memory Pressure indicator. If it's green, you don't have a problem with insufficient RAM. Look elsewhere for your solution.

 

[simonsi]

OSX manages its memory like a teenagers bedroom space, pretty soon it will allow it to fill up with stuff that might be useful, but if it needs space to bring in something new, it will clear space, just enough space.

Hence the room stays full and has <mostly> useful stuff in it